Subscribe

Telangana tunnel collapse: Rescuers stare at crisis as water and mud mix make it harder to push forward

Right now we do not have any technology to help us make our way through this wall of slush to reach the victims, NDRF's 10th Battalion Commandant Prasanna Kumar says.

Telangana Tunnel Crisis

The situation inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, where eight men have been trapped since Saturday morning, has drastically changed overnight with heavy seepage of water and mud, rescuers have told The Indian Express.

NDRF’s 10th Battalion Commandant Prasanna Kumar told The Indian Express on Monday that after a lengthy meeting with the Navy, Army and other organisations to take stock of the situation, none of the experts present at the site could suggest how to navigate through the thick wall of slush to reach the trapped persons.

“The Navy commandos tried but were not equipped for this kind of wall of mud, which has increased in height to about 11 feet. It is like a big quicksand pit. The visibility has gone to zero. We have deployed probe scopes and sonars which revealed the presence of dangerous debris like twisted metal, concrete chucks and other material.

Anyone who ventures into it will be seriously injured. A rat hole worker has arrived, but he cannot help either because he can work only in dry conditions. Here we are dealing with a thick wall of mud-water mix. Right now we do not have any technology to help us make our way through this wall of slush to reach the victims. We have not been able to establish contact with the trapped persons so far,” Kumar said.

According to officials, natural rock formations in the tunnel became loose, causing sudden water and mud inflow that filled about 12-13 feet of the tunnel. “This is a highly challenging situation, and technical experts are working round the clock to resolve the crisis,” Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said. Reddy said that the terrain is making it difficult to bring in any heavy machinery or equipment that may help remove the slush faster. ALSO READ

Releted News